a place in my heart will always be hers
by thingyoulovemost
Summary: in which Emma and Charming talk aboard the Jolly Roger, father and daughter. Daddy Charming with a side of Graham/Emma.


**A/N: This is coming to you courtesy of Emma (humbertgraham) and Courts (sheriffgrahams), so blame them. Daddy Charming with a side of Gremma. **

**Disclaimer: Not my characters, just my words. Credit to the brilliantly evil minds of Kitsis and Horowitz.**

Emma Swan sits atop a wooden box on the deck of the Jolly Roger, looking out at the dark blue water as dusk hits Neverland. Her thoughts are haunting her, images she can't seem to get out of her head. Neal slipping through her fingers and falling through the portal. Henry being forced through the portal by Greg and Tamara. Her blood boils at the thought, and she swears to herself that when (not if) she catches up to them they'll be sorry they _ever_ laid a hand on her son.

Her eyes squeeze shut in anguish as she thinks of Henry. Is he okay? Is he thinking of her? Did they hurt him? She shakes her head, trying to rid herself of the thought. She can't afford to think like that.

She's suddenly aware of someone sitting down beside her and instinctively knows it to be her father. They sit in silence for a moment, as she draws strength simply from his presence. He wraps an arm around her shoulders, no longer worried about scaring her off with displays of affection, and it's exactly what she needs in that moment. After thinking she was going to lose her parents just after she'd found them, she finds it easy to let herself be vulnerable around them. She gently rests her head on his shoulder and lets out a breath. He's always doing that, she thinks. Giving her exactly what she needs when she doesn't even know what it is she's looking for. She doesn't know how he does it.

"We're going to find him, Emma," she hears his firm voice say, and there it is, that unwavering faith of his. She envies it. But, she thinks, maybe she can learn from him and be like that, too.

She nods against his chest and softly says, "I know."

"Everything will be alright, you'll see," he murmurs gently as he presses a kiss to the top of her head and she thinks she could get used to this, being comforted by her father. She never had that and now she does and it's strange, but it's a good strange.

"Do you think he's okay?" Her voice comes out weak and wobbly, and she curses herself inwardly. Her parents seem to always bring out the little girl in her who craves their comfort, but she's finding it doesn't bother her as much as it once did. She needs this, this reassurance that he always gives her whenever she needs it from him.

"Henry? Yes, I do. He's a very strong and brave little boy," he says. "Much like someone else I know," he finishes softly.

She scoffs lightly. "I don't feel very brave," she says. "Or strong, for that matter. I let them take my son from me."

Charming pulls away to look her in the eye. "That was not your fault, Emma," he says fiercely. "And are you kidding me? You saved Storybrooke today. That seemed pretty brave to me." The strong sense of pride in his voice shines through every word, and it fills Emma with a warmth she didn't know she had.

"Regina helped."

"She did." His voice is soft, contemplative. Emma knows it's harder for him to see any good in Regina because he only ever knew her as the Evil Queen, unlike her mother.

After a beat of silence, Emma decides there's something she needs to say.

"You know, I never thanked you."

His forehead scrunches in confusion. "For what?"

"For being my unofficial deputy back in Storybrooke. Before things got crazy."

He laughs lightly. "You're welcome, Emma. I gotta say, it was pretty fun. Though I still prefer carrying a sword to a pistol."

She laughs and shakes her head. "Yeah, I can understand that. Swords are pretty cool," she says as she nudges him with her shoulder.

After a moment, she looks out at the rippling water, the light fading fast from the sky. She avoids his eyes as she says, "You're _always_ there. Every time I look back, or need you, you're there. And…" she hesitates, "And I've never really had that before." She hears his sharp intake of breath at her words, but she continues. "I don't know how you always know the right the to say, but you do. You…" her voice wavers slightly, "You've always got my back and I just… I've never thanked you for that. So… thank you."

Charming is stunned into silence for a moment, tears filling his eyes before he regains his composure. He waits until she meets his gaze and looks at her warmly, a look filled with so much love she's not sure she'll ever get used to. He hugs her tightly to his chest as a tear slips down his cheek.

"Oof," she mumbles. "Um, a little tight there, Dad."

He tries, and fails, to pretend like her calling him that doesn't make his heart feel like it'll burst as he releases her with a teary chuckle. "Sorry, daughter."

She laughs along with him before they settle into a comfortable silence again and he turns to look at her seriously.

"Emma, I will always be there for you. To have your back, to give whatever I can to make sure you're safe and happy. Understood?"

Emma blinks, and her eyes well with tears, but she refuses to let them fall. Instead, she just nods.

She leans her head on his shoulder again, and suddenly she thinks of someone she hasn't let herself think about in too long. Not since she broke the curse and realized what really happened to him, and let the burning anger fade as much as it ever would. She thinks the lingering heartache at the very thought of him will never go away, not really. Every time she sees that leather jacket hanging on that hook, her heart is ripped open and torn apart all over again. It probably still smells like him, as she can't bring herself to touch it lest she make it (him) disappear.

"I… I think… Graham," she struggles on his name, "would approve of you being the new deputy, you know."

Her father grows silent at her words. He thinks of the man he owes not only his life to, but his wife's, and thereby their child currently leaning her head on his shoulder. He owes everything he has to that man and the sacrifices he made. Emma is his entire world, and without Graham saving him and letting Snow go free, she wouldn't even exist. And that is something he can't even fathom, something he doesn't even want to consider.

"I owe him everything," he says softly, voicing his thoughts out loud. "I have you thanks to him."

She looks up at him and says softly, "I read that in the book, how he let you and Mom go."

"Yeah, he did. He was a good man."

After a beat, he continues. "Do you miss him?"

He's aware of the almost, could-have-been, should-have-been relationship between the huntsman turned sheriff and his princess, thanks to Snow. She was there for Emma during that time, when he couldn't be because he was living a lie as the cursed David Nolan. She was witness to the absolute heartbreak their baby went through, at the hands of Regina. Regina, who is on this ship with them right now. For Henry. Regina, who did help save Storybrooke today. He has to remember that. That doesn't excuse what she's done, all the pain she's caused, but it's something.

"Yeah," Emma says, her voice barely above a whisper. "Yeah, I do."

He responds by hugging his daughter tighter to his side, as if that will take her pain away. Oh, how he wishes it could. But Emma is strong, and Emma is resilient and she can take anything that comes at her. He just wishes she didn't have to. He wishes he could take the burden for her. He wishes he could take all her pain for her. Anything for Emma, everything for Emma. _Always_.


End file.
